Producers: 'Gracepoint' differs from U.K. version

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) — "Gracepoint," the American version of the critically acclaimed British crime drama "Broadchurch," won't be a mirror image of the original, its producers promise.

That's despite the fact that the first two episodes closely track "Broadchurch" and the show features the same star, David Tennant of "Dr. Who" fame. The Scottish-born actor is joined by a largely American cast.

After mulling a different approach for the opening episodes, it became apparent that the British version was the "smartest, most compelling way to start," executive producer Carolyn Bernstein said.

"We promise when the series progresses it diverges in significant ways," she said.

Among them: the ending. The mystery of a boy's murder will have its own solution in the American series, Bernstein and fellow executive producer Dan Futterman told a TV critics' meeting Sunday.

The new version that debuts this fall remains true to the "beautiful story" of the original, Futterman said. "Broadchurch" told how the child's death affects both his small coastal English town and the police detectives trying to solve the crime.

Two additional episodes — 10, versus the eight that aired in Britain — will allow characters to be more fully fleshed out, such the boyfriend of the victim's sister, the producers said.

Tennant, who returned for season two of ITV's "Broadchurch," was asked if he can't get enough of his troubled detective character.

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"The thing I can't get enough of is good writing," said the actor, who adopts an American accent for the new series.

When Futterman was explaining why he thought "Gracepoint" could attract a broader audience on Fox, including those who may have seen the original, Tennant's accent came under discussion.

Futterman, whose credits as an actor include "Judging Amy," said his mother tried to watch "Broadchurch," which had its U.S. airing on BBC America. But she complained, "'I can't understand a word they're saying,'" he recounted.

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